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Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Charles L. Greene, 
7th, Pa. Vet- Vol. Cav. 



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Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Charles L. Greene, 
7th, Pa. Vet. Vol. Cav. 



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5 The Capture of Jefferson Davis 
and What 1 Know of It 

The capture of Jeff Davis has been the subject of much con- 
troversy. Much has been written regarding this capture from 
both a Southern and a Northern point of view. 

Having been on the ground at the time and in a measure 
indirectly connected with it, at the earnest solicitation of Major 
Thrall and a number of my companions in the Commandery, I 
will undertake to relate the circumstances of the capture from 
my own personal knowledge. 

On May 7, 1865., our Brigade, which was then in camp 
near Macon, Ga., was ordered by General Minty, commanding 
th3 Division, to proceed down the south side of the Ocmulgee 
River and to picket same, as it was learned that President Davis 
and members of his Cabinet, with an escort of Confederate 
Cavalry, had left Washington, Ga., and were proceeding south 
along the line of the river, with a view of crossing and going 
into Texas, where, at this time, the only organization of Con- 
federate forces existed. 

In compliance with these orders our Brigade commenced 
picketing the river a few miles south of Macon. The Seventh 
Penn. Cavalry, my Regiment, was the first to commence placing 
videttes some distance apart, with instructions to patrol care- 
fully between same. After the entire Regiment had been placed 
in this position. Colonel Pritchard, of the Fourth Michigan Cav- 
alry, was instructed to join the Pennsylvania Regiment and 
continue the same formation further down along the river. 



I would state here that the Fourth Michigan and the Sev- 
enth Pennsylvania belonged to ths same Brigade for about three 
years. We were so intimately associated that the two seemed 
almost like one Regiment. Colonel Pritchard was a very inti- 
mate friend of mine, as w^as also Lieutenant Dickinson. 

When Colonel Pritchard commenced placing his videttes 
he was near Abbeyville, which is about seventy miles south of 
Macon. He there learned that Davis had already crossed the 
river. Pie also met there Colonel Hardin, of the First Wis- 
consin Cavalry, who had been pursuing Davis for a number of 
days with about seventy men and officers. 

It was nov/ near evening, and Colonel Pritchard detailed 
about one hundred and fifty men and officers, and immediately 
started in pursuit of Davis. He marched all night, arriving 
near Irwinsville, Ga., just at the break of day, in the meantime 
stopping only long enough to feed his horses. Again moving 
forward, he very soon arrived at the Camp of Davis and at 
once charged same, no resistance being offered, as it was a 
complete surprise to the Camp, most of whom were sleeping 
at the time. / 

Just at this time a most unfortunate mistake occurred be- 
tween the Wisconsin soldiers and Colonel Pirtchard's Command, 
each being taken by the other for the enemy. A sharp engage- 
ment took place, resulting in the killing of two soldiers and the 
wounding of one officer of the Fourth Michigan, and also se- 
verely wounding three soldiers in the First Wisconsin. 

4 



While Colonel Pritchard was engaged in this skirmish in 
the rear of the Camp, Lieutenant Dickinson, of the Fourth 
Michigan, took charge of the capture of Davis and all the Con- 
federate escort. Guards were at once placed around the Camp 
and at each of the tents. Davis came out of one of the tents 
partly dre^ed and at once surrendered. He stated to Lieutenant 
Dickinson that women and children were in the tents and asked 
that no soldiers be permitted to enter. Lieutenant Dickinson 
replied that he would certainly do all in his power to protect 
the women and children and that no soldie-s would be permitted 
to intrude on their privacy. Davis returned to his tent, and 
soon after an apparently old lady, accompanied by a young lady, 
came out of the tent. The young lady asked permission of 
Lieutenant Dickinson to go to the swamp a short distance away 
to get a bucket of water, she carrying the bucket on her arm. 
The supposed old lady was wearing a waterproof cloak that 
came close down to her feet, with her head wrapped in a small 
plaid shawl. The permission was given. The guard at the front 
of the tent at the time was Private Andrew Bee, who had been a 
Crimean soldier. He was not pleased with Lieutenant Dickinson 
for having permitted them to pass, but, as the privilege was grant- 
ed, he let them go and kept a close watch on their movements. 
After they had passed him a few yards, the cloak of the supposed 
old lady caught on a bush, that lifted it just enough to disclose 
a pair of cavalry boots and spurs. It did not take Private Bee 
more than a second to level his seven-shooting carbine at the 
grandmother. Just at this moment Colonel Pritchard came in 
sight. Davis threw off his disguise and made a second surrender 
to Colonel Pritchard. 

5 



Just at this point I am reminded of, and perhaps some of 
my companions present will recall, a cartoon that was published 
in Harper's Weekly, showing Davis, his hoop-skirt caught on a 
bush, exposing a large part of his lower extremities, with his 
hands extended above his head as he looked into a trooper's gun.. 
This cartoon proved very amusing to many people at the time. 

After the second surrender, Colonel Pritchard said to Davis : 
"What and who shall I call you ?" Davis replied, "You may call 
me what and who you please." Colonel Pritchard said, "I will 
call you Mr. Davis." Davis, then acknowledging who he was, 
said, "I suppose you think you are doing a brave act in making 
a raid like this on defenseless women and children." 

Colonel Pritchard had no further conversation with Davis 
at this time, but proceeded at once to take an inventory of his 
capture, as follows: 

Jeff Davis, defunct President of the Confederacy, Mrs. 
Davis, his wife, and four children. 

John H. Regan, Postmaster-General of the Confederacy. 

Colonels Johnson and' Lubbock, Aids de-Camp to Davis. 

Burton N. Plarrison, Private Secretary to Davis. 

Major ^laur, Captain Moody and Lieutenant Hathaway of 
the Rebel Army, Jeff D. Howell, Midshipman in the Rebel Navy, 
and thirteen private soldiers. 

Miss Howell, sister of Mrs. Davis, the young lady who rep- 
resented Davis as her grandmother. 

Together with ambulances, wagons and a complete camp 
outfit. 

6 



After allowing time for the prisoners to breakfast, the 'col- 
umn was formed and they started at once on the march to Macon, 
Ga. A courier had been dispatched to our headquarters, arriving 
soon after. The balance of our Brigade, of which I was Assist- 
ant-Inspcctor-General, serving on the Staff of General Minty, 
met Colonel Pritchard with his capture near Hawkinsville, and 
gave him the information we had received a few hours previous 
to this, that the Government had' offered a reward of one hun- 
dred thousand dollars for the capture of Davis. This was Col- 
onel Pritchard's first knowledge that a reward had been offered. 

This large sum was paid by the Goveniment, and the dis- 
tribution of it was referred largely to Colonel Pritchard. He 
advised that it be divided in modest amounts among those di- 
rectly concerned in the capture. A liberal sum was given to 
the families and relatives of those men who were killed and 
wounded in the skirmish that took place by mistake between 
the First Wisconsin and the Fourth Michigan. I believe the 
soldiers in both Regiments shared equally. This was the current 
report at the time of the distribution of the reward, but I can- 
not ve~ify it from my own personal knowledge. 

On the arrival at Flawkinsville, I was introduced to Presi- 
dent Davis and all his officials by Colonel Pritchard. Davis and 
I stepped to one side and had quite a talk together. He seemed 
somewhat nervous, but talked pleasantly. He was attired in a 
neatly-fitting gray suit, cut in military style, plain black buttons, 
but with no insignia of rank, and wore high-top cavalry boots. 
He was a very distinguished-looking man, a man who would be 
noted among a thousand for his striking personality. I, had no 

7 



conversation with either Mrs. Davis or her sister, Miss Howell, 
'but was near them frequently. Mrs. Davis was a large woman, 
not particularly good looking, but Miss Howell was a very 
beautiful woman. They appeared very much distressed, appar- 
ently undergoing a severe nervous strain. 

The other officers who were with Davis were jolly men, 
and did not seem very much disturbed over the condition of 
affairs. I had pleasant conversation with all of them at different 
times. I think they were quite well satisfied that the conditions 
with them were as favorable as they were. 

In my conversation with Davis, he said, "Major, what do 
you think they will do with me when we get to Macon? I sup- 
pose they will string me up." I replied, 'There is no thought of 
that. You need have no fears. You will be protected as a pris- 
oner until you can have a fair t:-ial. What the result of that 
trial may be, I cannot say." I also said to him, what I believed 
to be true, that there was not a man in the Command who had 
any thought of doing him harm. This, I believe, was true. 
While oft-times during the War we heard soldiers express a 
desire to get a sight of Davis and they would shoot him on 
the spot, and make other like threats, yet there was not the 
slightest move to carry out this, nor do I think there was a 
soldier in the Command who would have carried out the threats 
had opportunity offered. 

No insult was offered Davis, other than the bands of the 
Division continually played the National airs, such as, ''The Star 
Spangled Banner," "Yankee Doodle," "Hail Columbia," etc., 
which I have no doubt grated harshly on his nerves. 

8 



Mr. Davis asked me which was my native State. I replied, 
"Pennsylvania." He responded, "That is a fine State. I have 
passed through it a number of times on my way to Washington. 
This part of Georgia does not compare favorably with your 
State." This was true, as the part of Georgia in which we were 
at the time, was one of the most desolate portions of our country 
I was ever in. Davis added, "This is not the pleasantest part 
of Georgia by any means." I said to him, "I love my native 
State," to which he smilingly replied, "I suppose you do, and I 
wish you had loved it well enough to have always remained 
there." I replied, "We expect now, our work being over, we will 
return to our homes, and I shall have no desire to again return 
to this part of Georgia at least." 

Soon after this, two of the little children of the President, 
a girl about six years of age and a boy perhaps four, were near 
us playing, and I separated from Davis to have a little amuse- 
ment with the children. They were remarkably bright and in- 
telligent children and I was greatly impressed with their beautiful 
black eyes. While I was talking with them, the little boy spied 
a bug at his feet and called to his sister, "Sister, kill that bug. 
Don't you see it? Kill it." His sister said, "No, brother, you 
do not want to kill the bug." He said, "Yes I do. Kill the bug." 

I was relating this little incident to an Aid on the Staff, 
named O'Rourke. He was a thoroughbred Irishman, and always 
went by the name of Teddy. He was very bitter towards the 
South and Southern people. As I related the incident, he said, 
"That is just like the old man. Think how many lives he has 
been the cause of being sacrificed, and this little devil has the 
same blood in him, always wanting to kill something. 

9 



I have met Teddy several times since in Cleveland, where 
he established a merchant tailoring business and apparently quite 
prosperous, but his feeling towards the South had not changed. 
He was the same Teddy still. 

The young Davis boy, after he grew to manhood, went to 
Memphis and during the scourge of yellow fever took the fever 
and died. The little girl was the Winnie Davis, whose name so 
often appea-ed before the public, and who died a comparatively 
short time ago, 

I next met Postmaster-General, Regan, and was ve-y 
favorably impressed with him. He seemed an honorable, high- 
toned gentleman. I had quite a lengthy conversation with him, 
during which he said, ''Our cause is lost, and it is now my desire 
to see our country restored to its normal condition, and I shall 
make every effort possible to effect this end." He returned to 
Texas, as vou all know, and was afterward elected United States 
Senator, serving in that office until his death. 

After a short rest the entire Command was formed and the 
return march to ]\Iacon was resumed. The entire Davis capture 
was in charge of Colonel Pritchard and they hurried forward. 
The balance of the Command made a leisurely march and ar- 
rived in Macon about the 14th or 15th of May. There the Com- 
mand went into Camp. Many of the soldiers were discharged 
and soon after went to their homes. My Regiment remained 
in service, the different Companies sent around to adjacent towns 
for the protection of the inhabitants, as the condition of the 
country was very unsettled. I was then appointed Provost-Mar- 
shall on the Staff of General Wilson. 

10 



This little incident occurred at Macon. Davis and his 
family and officers ware quartered in the Lanier House, the lead- 
ing hotel in Macon. I afterward boarded for a time at the 
Lanier House and became well acquainted with a Major Warren, 
clerk of the hotel. He told me that after Davis arrived there, 
he and a number of his Confederate friends arranged to assist 
Davis to escape. At the time he was relating the incident to 
me, he had the ropes under his desk in the hotel that they had 
provided for their use in making the escape. Mr. Davis posi- 
tively refused to allow this to ^e done, which was very fortunate 
for him an.d many others. 

The last of August the very welcome order for our discharge 
was received from the War Department. This order was re- 
ceived with great joy by all the Regiment. Our hearts were 
filled with pride by the record our Regiment had made during 
the four years of constant service in the field. But we could 
not repress a feeling of sadness when we thought of the toll 
battlefield, disease and prison had taken from the brave men who 
had left their homes so courageously with the Regiment in '61, 
and who were sleeping their long dreamless sleep under Southern 
skies. 

We were ordered to Harrisburg, where we were given our 
final discharge and ba'de adieu to our comradeship that had been 
so close and constant during our four years of service. Thus 
ended my war experience. 

11 



